Please enjoy $100 off gatherings of 12 people or more. Discount automatically applied. 

Gatherings

Meal Prep

A Season or Long Term

Cooking Classes

Chef Services Overview

Our booking policy is flexible, so don't worry if these details change. Our chef services are available in 

, though many Culinista® chefs are happy to travel. For services outside of these areas, 

The Culinistas is a resource that gives everyone the freedom and confidence to connect around a meal.

Our optional drinks service includes up to 2 drinks plus waitstaff who will arrive 1 hour before guests and provide 4 hours of service. Additional time will be billed at $60/hour. The Culinistas will provide ice and non-alcoholic ingredients. The host is responsible for providing alcohol.

Dairy

Eggs

Fish

Nuts

Gluten

Sesame

Beef

Alliums

Gail Simmons

Top Chef

Dana Cowin

Food & Wine

Gwyneth Parltrow

Goop

Tiana Tenet & Jill Donenfeld

Founders

Low Carb

Low Sugar

High Protein

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Low Fat

High Fat

Meatballs Marinara

Roasted Veggies

Healthy Chicken Tenders

Berry Bowl

RGC (Roasted Garlic Chicken)

Mustard Seed Salmon

Pumpkin Maple Muffins

Morning Glories

Lemony Pasta Fagioli

Sweet Potato & Fennel Soup

Power Green Salad

Sticky Salmon & Broccolini

Zucchini Nuggets

Green Rice

Our seasonal and long term chef services are available all over the world. Our roster of chefs are largely based in the New York metro area, the D.C. metro area, and Los Angeles, but many are excited to travel. To find a chef in your area, 

Our Culinista chefs have diverse backgrounds, including nutrition certifications and Michelin-starred restaurant experience. Their degrees are from schools like the Culinary Institute of America and Cornell's elite hospitality program.

Pricing for these services is determined case by case. Please 

Weekly service starts at $250. Additional costs include groceries (dependent on size & dish selection), $50 tip, a $15 travel reimbursement for your chef, and tax. Select markets may be priced higher.

Households larger than six people may require more time from a chef, so we price those services on a case by case basis. 

Our chef services are available in the NYC metro area, the Hamptons, LA, and the D.C. metro area, though many Culinista® chefs are happy to travel. For services outside of these areas, 

Certain ingredients in these dishes may make them more costly—and increase your total grocery bill—so we wanted to let you know. 

The standard weekly meal prep service does not include table service. If you'd like a custom service that combines meal prep with table service, please 

, we’ll assign a Culinista chef for your household. we’ll assign a Culinista chef for your household. Each week, you will select the dishes that you’d like to eat from our website. Your Culinista chef will shop for groceries, prep, and cook the dishes in your home, stock your fridge, and leave your kitchen spotless.

We know that everyone eats differently. Our sizes are based on household size, but you should adjust your selection based on household appetites and how many meals per week you desire.

That said, our sizing recommendations are:

If your family is larger than six people, please fill out a 

 and we will provide you with a custom quote.


You can always adjust the size of your service from week to week.

Seasonal & Long Term Services

Weekly Meal Prep

Prior to cooking, toasting grains helps to intensify its flavor

Boost Your Grains

All cooked in one vessel, efficient with minimal clean up

One Pot Wonder

Nut + herb + citrus + olive oil, all you need for a perfect pesto

Pesto Equation

All great dishes start with an aromatic base to develop flavor

Build A Foundation

A dish that alchemizes three bold and distinct flavors to hit sweet, sour, savory, salty, and bitter notes

Trifecta

Creating delicious flavor combinations using both cooked and fresh ingredients

Pizza Topping Equation

Herbs that thread flavor throughout a recipe and garnish

Infusing Oil

Browning your protein (crisping the exterior while softening the interior) will help to intensify its flavor

Char Goes Far

Using a sharp ingredient to cut the richness from heavier ingredients

Balancing Act

Large format & straightforward recipes that are ideal for crowds

Party Meal

Layering different types of the same fruit or vegetable to your dish for an extra level of complexity

Tomayto Tomahto

Using natural sweeteners in place of processed and refined sugar

Sweetness Substitute

The unexpected pairing of something sweet to a protein complements the dish

Sweet Ingredient + Savory Protein

Marinate for Flavor

Classics Redone

Creative use of soaked nuts, puréed veggies or dried fruit as your thickener to develop the right consistency

Alternative Thickeners

Use leftover herbs or vegetable scraps to strengthen the flavor in a dish and reduce food waste

Infused Broth

Using onion powder to enhance the onion flavor helps to save cooking time

Onion Powder Power

Using a multitude of soft stem herbs helps to brighten your dressings & marinades

All the Herbs

You’re here to cook, not do math. But knowing a few simple equations—like the 1:1:1 meatball ratio and the fruit salad formula—is the secret to kitchen freedom, and there’s no final exam.


Formula

Flavor keys include techniques from across the culinary spectrum (think: infusing, searing, marinating, pickling) but they all share the same goal: to maximize every ingredient’s flavor, every time you cook. 

Flavor

We’ll help you be efficient in the kitchen by strategizing prep, cook, and rest times, as well as cleaning along the way. 

Timing

A good meal is a feast for all the senses. Consider how you pair colors, textures, shapes, and sizes, and your guests will be impressed even before they take a bite.

Style

Our goal is that healthy cooking and consistent gathering around the table is a sustainable part of your life. That means supporting sustainable food systems and creating recipes that eliminate waste in your kitchen.

Sustainability

A generous attitude is the secret ingredient in any gathering. These keys ensure the mood is right, everyone feels comfortable, and the gathering is seamless. 

Hosting

Health starts with pure, unprocessed ingredients: fresh vegetables, whole grains, wild and grass-fed proteins.  We incorporate clean ingredients where you'd expect and also where you wouldn't expect, like using oats or nuts to create flours and blending veggies into sauces.

Health

Cleaning won’t feel like a chore if your recipes are structured efficiently (ours are), you clean as you cook, and you send your guests home with leftovers.

Less Mess

Fall Plated

A French-ish spread featuring forkable and finger-friendly bites. Pairs perfectly with our Negroni Bar.

Classic Cocktail Hour

Thanksgiving Sides

Getting out of bed is reason enough for a party. This Brunch & Bubbles menu cheers you on with Savory Dutch Babies, Apple Crumble Parfaits, and a glass of something bubbly.

Fall Luncheon

Cancel that reservation; the steak, and its beloved sides, are getting cooked up in-house.

Steakhouse Classics

Quiet Luxury

Christmas

Quintessential Culinistas Fall

Thanksgiving 

Find comfort in Mediterranean classics like meaty Swordfish & Crushed Olives, and fall in love with something new, like our hearty Farro al Limone.
  

Fall in the Mediterranean

If you’ve ever wondered what autumn in Tuscany looks like, look no further. Gorgonzola Grapes start the party, clearing the way for a stunner of a main: caper-studded Veal Piccata. Buon apetito!

Tuscan Table

Never stress about dinner again.

The Culinistas is a resource that gives everyone the freedom and confidence to connect around a meal. Our vetted private chefs are available for in-home:

Brunch, cocktail hour, dinner party, or barbecue? We’re here to help. 

Give us your kitchen for a couple hours, and we’ll leave you with meals for the week.

Need a chef for the summer, a short trip, or a forever position? We’ll get you staffed.

The Culinistas is a resource that gives everyone the freedom and confidence to connect around a meal. We connect you with vetted private chefs for in-home meal prep, gatherings, and seasonal and long term needs. Explore our services. 

No matter the season, there’s a reason to host. We have hundreds of menus for intimate parties and gatherings. Explore a few of our favorites.

Explore our library of seasonal, international, and year-round favorites. 

Homepage menus

Menus for Gathering

Curbed

Bloomberg

Forbes

Marquee

Let a Culinista chef handle the cooking this week. We’ll come to your home with groceries and leave your fridge stocked with vibrant meals—and your kitchen spotless.

See what’s new for this week's meal prep.

Homepage Dish Group

Press

Companies logos

Fan Mail

Learn the Culinista keys to cooking and hosting @

Let’s cook together

Homepage

Weekly meals, made in your kitchen.

Tell Us the Details

Choose Your Menu

 Let Us Cook For You

How It Works

Mix and match six dishes. Here are our favorites right now.

Choose your menu for next week.

Dishes Group

Meal Prep Dishes

We offer a range of custom options for clients with needs or preferences beyond our meal prep service.

Don’t see exactly what you want?

All Culinista chefs come highly referred and must pass a background check and a cooking interview.

Thoroughly Vetted

Culinista chefs have graduated from top culinary schools and worked in the best restaurants.

Professionally Trained

We handpick the best chefs for you based on their skills and your needs.

Perfectly Paired

Culinista® Chefs

The keys that make every service successful

Our Approach to Meal Prep

Weekly Meal Prep FAQs

A Culinista® chef for all your culinary needs.

We’ll help you find a chef to provide full time, part time, or custom meal prep services to your household.

Long Term Chefs

Headed to the beach for the summer or the mountain in the winter? We’ll find you a chef to match your seasonal needs, from weekly meal prep to nightly dinners.

Seasonal Chefs

Culinista chefs are ready to pack their bags to join you for a special birthday, anniversary trip, or family vacation.

Traveling Chefs

We offer agile chef services—so you can keep living your life, knowing that a delicious and nourishing meal awaits you.

The Importance of Hospitality

Culinista® chefs hail from top restaurants around the country.  They help celebrate our culinary methods and approach to hospitality. 

Summer in the Hamptons

A week in Aspen

An on staff chef

Meal Prep With Table Service

A Custom Meal Prep Menu

A Chef to Fit Your Life

 Seasonal & Long Term Services FAQ

Immerse yourself in the joys of mealtime.

, though many Culinista® chefs are happy to travel. 

Service Areas

Food tastes better when it’s cooked by a Culinista® chef in your own kitchen. We develop vibrant, seasonal, and diverse menus tailored to your needs.

A Culinista^® chef for all your culinary needs.

Culinista chefs go where you need them.

We offer agile chef services—so you can keep living your life, knowing that a delicious and nourishing meal awaits you.

A Chef to Fit Your Life

Our services also include chefs for weekly prep, gatherings, and cooking classes.